Fifth-wheel for vehicles



'(No Model.)

L. BURG. EIETE WHEEL EOE VEHICLES. No.' 542,076. Patented July 2, 1895.

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LEWIS BURG, OF DALLAS CITY, ILLINOIS.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR. VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,076, dated July 2,1895.

' Application led February 7,1895. Serial No."537,649. (No model.) l

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS BURG, a citizen of the United States, residingat Dallas City, in the county of Hancock and State of Illinois, haveinventedcertain new and useful ImprovementsinFifth-Wheels forVehicles;and I do hereby declare the followingrv to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to whlch it appertaius to Vmake and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specificaion.

My invention relates to that class of devices known as-the fifth-wheelused on carriages and wagons to facilitate the turning of the front axleon the under side of the bolsterI or spring-bar of the body of thewagon, and has for its object to provide such a construction andarrangement of the parts connected therewith thatin the event of thebreaking of the king-bolt, which passes through the dit'- ferent parts,the contacting parts of the fifthwheel will be held in their proper andrelative position to each other, and therebyprevent the breaking away of'the fore wheels and axle from the body of the carriage or wagon, whichfrequently causes an accident dangerous to life; and to this endmyinvention consists in the construction of parts hereinafter describedand more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portionof the front axle of a vehicle having my improved fifth-wheel attachedthereto and connected with the reach, the rear portion of which isbroken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showingthe interior shape and position of each of the parts with theirconnection to the spring-bar, axle, and the axle-bed. Fig. 3 is avertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the location andarrangement of the parts. Fig. t is aperspective view of the platebeneath the axle; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detached lowerplate of the iifth-wheel. v

Like letters of reference refer to` corresponding parts in each figureof the drawings.

A represents the upper plate of my improved fifth-wheel, having theusual seat a for the reception of the spring-bar B ofthe vethe axle.

hicle, upon which in a pleasure-wagon is attached the spring b by meansof bolts, clips, or other convenient devices that are in cornmon use forthis purpose for holding tlhe spring-bar in position. This plate Aconsists of a half-circle extending in front of the axle, with a rearportion forming a frusto-conical projection C, that extends downward toa point midway of the reach, which is provided with a uniform hole inits center to receive the king-bolt D. The upper surface of the plate isextended back over the upper surface of the conical projection C andthen downward and rearward to form a brace c, which is integral with theplate and is securely attached to the reach G by means of abolt d orother well-known fastenings.

The lower plate E of the fifth-wheel has two segments e, connected bymeans of crossbar F, having its under surface formed to receive theusual wooden axle-bed H, beneath which is secured theiron axle I. Thislower plate E has a depending conical socketf'on its rear centralportion, which receives the conical projection C of the upper plate. Infront of the socket'f, on the rear side ot' the bar F, there is a liatvertical flange g, forming part of the body of the socket f, which restsagainst andv supports the rear side ofthe wooden bed H of the axle andkeeps the lower plate more steady in its contact with Jrepresen ts aniron brace on the under side of the reach, which is extended forward infront of the reach and provided on its end with an upwardly-projectinglugj, which has a conical recess in its upper side for the reception ofthe lower end of the conical projection C of the upper plate, and also ahole extending down through the center of the conical recess and thebody of the lug j for the insertion of the king-bolt D, the upper sideof the lug 7' forming the seat on which the conical socket f of thelower plate rests.

An axle-plate K is formed with a concave upper surface 7a, adapted toreceive the under side of t-he rounded surface of the axle beneath thefifth-wheel, and is held in its position by the ordinary clips L,extending over the ribbed bar F of the lower part of the fifthwheel,inclosing the axle I and axle-bed Ill, and passing down through ears Z,extending IOO from each side of the plate K, where the clips are securedby nuts or other means in the ordinary way.

On the central rear portion of the axleplate K there is a lug M, whichforms the seat upon Which rests the conical cup-shaped lugj of thereach-brace J, and this lug M has a conical recess m, extending upwardfrom the center of its under side, into which the projectin g conicalpart n of a supplemental reachbrace N is seated, and a hole extendsthrough the lug M and the conical projection n for the king-bolt, whichpasses through them. The rear end of the brace N is secured tothereach-brace c, extending from the upper plate A, and to the brace J bymeans of a bolt rl, passing through these parts and rigidly holding themtogether on the reach.

It will thus be seen from this construction of a fifth-wheel and theelements connected with it that should the king-bolt D become worn orbroken and drop out of its position, or be displaced by any causewhatever, the conical projection C, extending downward from the upperplate and being received in a depending conical socketfof the lowerplate and its lower end in a recess in a lug on the end of thereach-brace J, and these parts resting upon the lug M of the low'erplate K and beingbound thereto by the reach-braces, will be firmly andsecurely held togetherl as against all liability of accident orseparation of the axle from the body of the vehicle, and thus overcome along-felt need of security in this part of the vehicle, which so oftenwears away, and, becoming insecure, finally causes an accident andinjury to the occupants of the vehicle.

Having thus fully described my invention,-

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

l. In the fifth wheel of a vehicle, the combination with the upper andlower plates, of a frusto conical projection depending from the rearportion of the upper plate, a depending conical socket on the rear sideof the lower plate and a brace extending from beneath the reach, havingalug on its front end upon which the said socket of the lower platerests, said lug having a conical recess in its upper surface, theconical socket and recess of the lug receiving the projection of `theupper plate, and a bolt through the center of the said conicalprojection and lug securely binding the parts together, as and for thepurpose set forth. l

2. In the fifth wheel of a vehicle, the combination with the upper andlower plates, of a brace integral with the upper plate secured to thereach, a conical projection depending from the rear of the upper plate,adepending conical socket on the rear side of the lower plate having aflat vertical Iiange on its front side for supporting the axle bed, areach brace having an upwardly extending lug on its front end upon whichsaid socket rests, and a conical recess in the upper side of said lug,and a plate beneath the axle having a lug supporting the front end ofthe reach brace, and said parts being bound together by a bolt throughthe depending projection of the upper plate, the lugs of the reach braceand axle plate, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina fifth wheel for vehicles, the combination with the upper andlower plates, of a brace integral with the` upper plate, secured to thereach, a conical projection depending from the rear of the upper plate,a depending conical socket on the rear of the lower plate having a fiatvertical flange on its front side in contact with the axle bed, a reachbrace having a lug on which the said socket rests and a conical recessin the upper side of said lug, an axle plate beneath the axle, having aconcave upper surface to receive the axle, said plate having a lug onits rear side supporting the front end of the reach brace and a conicalrecess on'its under side, and a supplemental reach brace having aconical lug on its front end fitting into the recess of the lug of theaxle plate, all ofsaid braces being secured to the reach and the partsheld together by the conical projections in the conical sockets andrecesses, as and for the purpose set forth.

